Wire-stretcher.



PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1903.

W. P. JENNINGS. WIRE STRETGHER. APPLICATION FILED D110. 19. 1902.

HO'KODBL.

m: "cams PErzRs co. wow-Luna, w sumo'rom u. c.

Patented September 1, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM F. JENNINGS, OF HOPEDALE, ILLINOIS.

WlRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,846, dated September 1, 1903. Application filed December 19, 1902. Serial No. 135.849. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,WILLIAM F. JENNINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hopedale, in the county of Tazewell and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in wire-stretchers. It has for its object to produce a simple and inexpensive device which shall be strong and durable in use and which may be operated from either direction and continuously without adjusting or readj usting the pulling-chain.

With these ends in View my invention consists in the details of construction and arrangement hereinafter more fully described.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may know how to make and use my improved wire-stretcher, I will proceed to describe the same, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved stretcher equipped with two wire-grips and in condition for use. Fig. 2 shows in elevation one side, with a ratchet-wheel on the power-shaft and two pawls adapted to clutch the ratchet-Wheel when rotated in opposite directions; and Fig. 3 is a plan or side View with one side of the case removed and exposing the interior sprocket-gear upon the shaft and the endless chain in operative relation with the sprocket-gear.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

A A are dish-shaped plates provided with circumferential flanges, by means of which and suitable screw-bolts B and nuts 0 said plates are secured together.

D is a power-shaft mounted axially in the plates A A and having secured thereto a chainsprocket E, adapted to rotate within and between the dished or concave portions of the plates A A. One end of the shaft D is provided with a crank F, and to the opposite end is secured a ratchet-gear G, and on opposite sides of said gear are pivotally connected to L and provided at the free end with a hook Q, adapted to be attached to said clevis after the said chain has been passed around a fencepost R or other suitable anchor.

S S are two or more Wire-grippers, the long arms of which are connected by links I with a hook U, adapted for connection with any one of the links of the endless chain .I, so that the pull of said chain will cause the jaws .of the grippers to firmly grasp or grip a fencewire in an obvious manner.

From the construction described it will be readily understood that when the crank F is turned in one direction the sprocket-gear E will cause the endless chain J to travel continuously in the same direction, and when the rearmost gripper has nearly approached the casing or plates A A the second gripper is caused to take hold of and bite the wire being stretched, whereupon the rearmost gripper or clamp is free to be removed and placed upon the draft-chain in advance of the one pulling upon the chain, so that the wire to be stretched is under constant draft, and any amount of slack may be taken up without any readjustment of the casing or of the endless chain J. When it is desirable or necessary to stretch a wire from the opposite direction, the stretcher may be rotated around the post or anchor, which will bring the operating-crank on the opposite side of the fence-line, and a strain may then be exerted upon the wire in the manner already described. In either case the crank may be turned to the right or the left, accordingly as to whether the gripping devices are hooked to the upper or lower stretch of the chain, and one or the other of the pawls H or I, as may be necessary, is thrown into engagement with the ratchet-gear G to prevent the shaft and sprocket-gear from releasing the strain upon the wire being stretched.

IOC

. The plates A A, which constitute the case or housing for the power-shaft and chainsprocket, may be made of cast iron or steel or they may be struck up in a drop-press and the several parts assembled and secured in operative positionand relation, as already described.

Having described the construction and advantages of my improved wire-stretcher, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- V 1. A wire-stretcher composed of two concave plates provided with flanges and secured together by bolts, and having two adjacent radial gateways, a power-shaft mounted axially in the dish-shaped plates and having a crank at one end and ratchet-gear at the other,

and an intermediate chain-sprocket located between the dish-shaped plates, pivoted pawls on opposite sides of the ratchet-gear, an endless chain mounted upon the sprocket and located within the radial gateways and adapted to be connected with wire-gripping devices,

and an anchor chain connected with the flanges of the plates diametrically opposite to the chain-gateways, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a wire-stretcher such as described, in combination with the casing consisting of two dish-shaped plates provided with circumferential flanges and adjacent radial gateways, a revolublesha ftand chain-sprocket mountedin said plates, and an anchor-chain secu red to the flanges of the plates, an endless chain located 

